My Aim is True
by debbiechan
Summary: Ishida Uryuu, Inoue Orihime. Canon timeline vignette, post Lust arc. I wanted to write a healing scene before Kubo-sensei wrote his.


**My Aim Is True**

by debbiechan

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Bleach; Kubo Tite invented them.

Description: G-rated vignette written in anticipation of the manga's return to the dome above Las Noches. At this writing it's been six months since we've seen Ishida, and everyone's been imagining a healing scene for him. This is mine, written on the eve before spoilers to chapter 378. Oh, and if you don't know the allusion in the title, it's from Elvis Costello's "Allison" (.com/watch?v=tI4Qel8qvW0)

Thank you to Nehalenia for the quick beta.

--

f_or Chris, yes this drabble is a bribe for art_

Ishida lies inside in the glowing orb and tries not to over-think his situation.

L_et go. Trust her._

Timing is everything. Speed is crucial. The slower the speed of a projectile, the more it will drop over the course of its flight, and Ishida knows too well that if you give yourself too much time to solve a problem, you will sink before hitting your mark.

You will over-think, sink even lower, and end up flat on your back wondering why the hell you ever woke up that morning to take on the responsibility of being human.

His father's offer: _I'll restore your Quincy powers on the condition that you never associate with Shinigami again_. As difficult as it had first appeared, that dilemma hadn't stalled him.

Increasing the draw weight of the bow increases arrow speed. Ishida had put all his mental strength into deliberating, but then, in one moment, when he saw Hirako Shinji put his arm around her, he knew.

I _have to protect Inoue-san._

All the others, even that oaf called Asano Keigo, rallied to defend their friend from the outrageousness and insult of Hirako's intimacies. Ishida had felt the deep emptiness of not having Quincy powers, the shame of not being able to add his voice to those looking after Inoue-san's honor.

He knew right then his intended aim and what path to follow.

His aim had always been about protecting Inoue-san, so when it came time to break his vow to his father and steal some weapons, he did that easily.

When it came time to take help from the Shinigami monster who had desecrated his grandfather's soul and destroyed so many Quincy lives, Ishida did that easily too.

A bomb is _not_ a noble weapon. A Quincy uses a bow and arrow.

The bomb had exploded and with it, a semblance of Ishida's pride. He had faked his aplomb: _Mala suerte. I pity you_. Las Noches was full of traps and humiliations. He wouldn't fall like Yammy, like a stupid weight or a failing arrow. Ishida was determined to rise….

And then Kurosaki telling him to shield Inoue-san with his body as if Ishida needed to be told what to do. Ishida had set his sights already; his path had been so clear once but ….

Now?

"Don't look so worried," Inoue-san says and holds her palms against the golden light. "This won't take long. I promise."

What she doesn't understand is that he doesn't want her to bother with him. He's finished. He's broken. He's dying. There are others to attend. She needs to stay alert, and he can't protect her from inside her healing orb. He can't do anything. She is too kind to leave his side, but she should be on her way.

I_'ve gone as far as I can go. Kurosaki and the others will bring you back. Leave me alone._

Random thoughts are shooting through his mind. After the anesthesia he injected himself with began to wear off, the pain had streaked around his body in a similar way--no goal, no meaning, no aim or control.

Heavier bows are more difficult to release… Faster arrows are more susceptible to uncontrolled oscillations, harder to shoot with accuracy….

There's been no pain since she enveloped him in her healing shield so maybe her powers can anesthetize him but ….

She is looking at him through the golden shield with a sad, strange expression.

L_et her try. You wanted her to save Kurosaki, didn't you? And the hole in his body was bigger than any of your wounds now. He was dead and you're merely dying. Let her save you._

The healing globe seems to grow. Or maybe that's his eyesight failing. Or an illusion of Hueco Mundo light. Earlier, Ishida wasn't this dizzy from actual blood-loss.

The globe glows brighter; its parameters become less transparent; golds and yellows become blinding whites.

He is falling.

What to do now. Where to go from here. How to control the trajectory.

I _love her_, he realizes.

The arrow has been let loose. Flying, flying beyond his control.

Ishida closes his eyes and lets the warmth flood his body. He can not believe he is being so thoroughly healed. He can not believe the power of her healing.

If only he could hold this feeling forever, the trajectory suspended, no end in sight.

I _love her_, he realizes with the tiny understanding that he is not falling.

He is forever flying.

E_ND_


End file.
